Effervescence
by Commander April
Summary: Resistance engineer Keylara and Starfighter pilot Poe are practically best friends, and why wouldn't they be after she made BB-8 for him? But her feelings for him aren't strictly platonic... [POE X OC, post-TFA, probable spoilers, now a WIP!]
1. Chapter 1

this was just a little something that came to mind, and i needed to get it out of my head. i don't own Star Wars, nor am i an expert on the 'verse. i'm a simple fan looking to have fun in this sandbox. i hope you enjoy!

 **edited to add (12/24)** : thanks to the stunning response i've gotten (and a little inspiration that came from nowhere) i've decided to continue this story! the next part is currently being written and i'll have it up as soon as possible. thank you to everyone who's read it and followed/favorited, and especially to those who've reviewed. you're all amazing!

* **  
EFFERVESCENCE  
** *

 **CHAPTER ONE**

She noticed him immediately when he poked his head into her lab. She always noticed him. It was like she had a special sense, a knack for knowing where he was even when she couldn't see him. And why not? They were practically best friends, weren't they? That was her story and she was sticking to it. She might have had a crush on one Poe Dameron, but that didn't mean she obsessed over him and his whereabouts at all times.

She kept her head down, kept her hands working, twisting the delicate screw of the droid she was fixing up. She didn't even know if she could call it a droid, truly, given that when it was finished, it would be small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. A pocket droid, she'd dubbed it. Because why make real live friends when you can literally create robotic ones, right?

"Thought I'd find you in here, Novan." His voice was bright and full of life as ever. Another pilot had once described him as 'effervescent.' Besides being a fun word to say, it was fitting.

Keylara looked up and pretended that the sight of him surprised her, smiling slightly. "Where else would I be?"

"Certainly not celebrating with the rest of us, right?"

"I was out there for a little bit."

"Yeah, I think I saw you for about a second — and it was just as you were darting out of the room."

Keylara huffed out a little laugh and dropped her gaze, but even not looking at him, she knew the smirk that Poe was wearing. In her peripheral, she watched as he sauntered into the room, looking around like it was the first time he'd ever been there. It was her special corner of the base, a place where she could work on any machinery she felt was needed — weapons, cybernetics, communication devices — and she wouldn't have called it messy, but….

Organized chaos. That was the term Poe had used. That had been a while ago, back when she was constructing BB-8 and he'd been hanging around to watch. She'd barely known him then.

Poe trailed a hand over the skeletal remains of an outdated blaster that Keylara hadn't yet gotten around to repairing. Her mouth curved into another smile at the way his fingers just barely ghosted against the metal, his touch gentle because he knew how she felt about her tech.

"I meant to tell you, BB-8 really pulled through. For all of us."

"So I heard," she replied. She set her screwdriver down and stood, her legs cracking from how long she'd been sitting. "I was a little worried."

Poe laughed. "About _him_? What about me?"

"Well, I knew you could handle yourself, Commander."

"Are you trying to butter me up for something?"

Heat crawled up Keylara's neck, but she forced out a snort of laughter and looked away, shaking her head. "Don't flatter yourself."

Wearing that boyish grin that had infatuated her at the very beginning, he turned to look back at the blaster. As she moved around her workbench to stretch out her limbs (and maybe bring herself nearer to him), he seemed to think about his words carefully. _Probably going to ask about the blaster and when it'll be ready for him to use_ , she thought, amused.

Instead, he swiveled back and said, "I thought about you. Up there."

Her heart fluttered. "Really?"

"That time I took you flying and had to land within like, what? A minute? So you could throw up?"

Her heart dropped. Her face grew hot again. "Oh."

"The things you can create and you're afraid of being up in the air like that," he teased. She wished she could find it annoying. Instead, it just endeared her all the more to him.

"I'm not afraid of being up in the air, I just — don't like… _seeing_ it when I'm up there," she said and he laughed. The thing about Poe, though, was that even when he was laughing _at_ you, it never felt like it. It wasn't hard to smile at him through her embarrassment. "It was one time. Let me live."

"We're going again, then."

"When?" she asked cautiously.

"It'll be a surprise. I'll spring it on you when you least expect it," he said. His dark eyes flickered to the workbench and filled with excitement, and before she could stop him, he was moving towards the pocket droid. "What's this?"

"It's not finished!" she said quickly.

And despite the fact that she knew he'd be careful, she lurched towards him to try and stop him from touching it. Her eagerness to stop him only made him want to do it more, and he flashed her that grin again as his fingers probed the cylindrical body.

"What's wrong?" he asked playfully.

"I told you already — it's not finished."

"I'm just looking."

The droid came to life with a shrill beep, drawing their attention. Its single eye lit up and focused on them before it beeped again, this time in greeting, and Keylara laughed, pleased to see it working even though she wasn't quite done with it.

"Well, isn't he cute?" Poe said.

She glanced up at him and realized just how close she was standing. Not only that, but her hands were on his wrists — as far as she'd gotten in her attempt to pull him away from her work. He'd let go of the droid — as she hadn't finished, it could do nothing but sit in its place, stationary — but he made no move to get away, and Keylara could have cursed at herself.

Letting go of him like the touch physically burned her, she murmured out a flustered apology and straightened her jumpsuit. It was stupid to get so worked up over her things like that. "I didn't really think you'd hurt it or anything," she said. "I know you're always careful with this stuff."

"Sure. It's important to you." He shrugged. "It's just funny to see how ruffled you can get about it."

She rolled her eyes and his grin returned. There was a brief silence, the kind that signified a conversation coming to a close, and desperate to have him around for as long as she could, she said, "So where is BB-8? Has anyone checked on it? Made sure it's running right and healthy?"

"He's _fine_ ," Poe said. "Probably needs some 'me' time after all that adventure. And that old R2 unit finally woke up, did you hear?"

"Really?"

"Don't get all excited on me, Novan — he's gone."

"Gone? Gone where?"

"I don't know." The way he said it told Keylara that he _did_ know but he was keeping it confidential. She may have been with the Resistance, but she was nowhere near on the same level as he was.

She nodded. "Well… I'm glad you made it back in one piece, Poe."

"More glad that your precious BB unit made it back?"

"My precious BB unit doesn't insist on fiddling with my things," she said, making him laugh again. He was nearing the doorway, their time together was ending, and Keylara knew there was no way to keep him here longer. He'd be back though, of course. They were practically best friends, right? "I mean it though."

"Hmm?"

"I'm glad you made it back."

He paused for the shortest of seconds to consider his reply — a barely noticeable nanosecond, even — and he grinned. With a wink, he said, "Me too."

And then he was gone.

And all Keylara could think was: what did that wink _mean_? It was friendly, wasn't it? Completely platonic. No way had Poe figured out she had a stupid, juvenile crush on him and was trying to reciprocate it. That would have been absurd. And had she mentioned juvenile? She wasn't a hopelessly romantic teenager anymore — she was an adult. And adults didn't react the way she was reacting.

A few shrill beeps came from her workbench. _You're overthinking it_ , they said.

"Oh, shut up, you."


	2. Chapter 2

i'm so grateful to the response i've had on this story so far! thank you all so much for the kind words! i decided to put a little backstory into the beginning of this chapter, but hopefully it doesn't throw you out of it too much, and a fair warning for later parts: i'm a bit of a sap. but onwards! please enjoy and let me know what you think!

ps. i hope you all had a lovely holiday if you celebrate. :)

 *****  
 **EFFERVESCENCE**  
 *****

 **CHAPTER TWO**

The first time she met Poe, she was more anxious than she'd have liked to be. She was still so new and she'd just finished introducing herself to _the_ General Leia Organa, and suddenly, he was there. He laughed at her — in the way where it felt like he was laughing with her instead — and said something about how it was a whirlwind, right?

And then he thrust his hand out and said, "Poe Dameron, commanding officer of the Red and Blue Squadrons." And despite the cockiness to his tone, it didn't feel like he was bragging as much as he was informing her. He was proud but not conceited.

"Novan. Keylara Novan." Her own introduction felt so much weaker.

"Well, Novan, it's good to have you here."

"I bet you say that to all the rookies."

His eyes flashed with amusement and he leaned in a little closer, dropping his tone just barely. "Only the ones that look as nervous as you." She laughed, even as her face burned, and he reclaimed his hand now that they were done shaking. With a boyish little grin, he said, "Welcome to the Resistance."

And he strode away with his head held high, casual and confident.

It wasn't until the second time she met him that she realized she was in trouble when it came to him and that stupid grin.

Her lab was already a mess — she swore it'd been like that when she moved in, there just wasn't enough space for all of her stuff. It wasn't made better by the fact that she collected any piece of tech she could find, bringing it back and hoarding it to tinker with later. There wasn't _anything_ she couldn't restore or recycle into something better, or so she liked to tell herself to justify the long hours she spent bent over her work.

"Hey, Novan," he said as he entered, and she was secretly pleased that he remembered her name. "I happen to need an astromech droid and I was told you were the person to come to."

"Really? By who?"

"Are you saying you're not?"

"Oh — no, I was just curious, is all. I'm totally the person to come to, I promise."

His dark eyes shone with good humor, and he grabbed a stray stool and dragged it towards the workbench she sat behind. He plopped down so he could look at her from across the table and he said, "General Organa."

"The General recommended me?"

"She did. Told me to come on down and talk it over with you. So you're pretty good at what you do, huh?"

"Well, I mean, I'm alright —"

"No, that's not what you're supposed to say. I just told you you were recommended to me by our general and you want to play modest? Let me ask you again — you're pretty good at what you do, huh?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"Like you mean it."

With a sheepish little laugh, she nodded again. "I'm damn good at what I do, Commander Dameron."

His grin lit up his entire face, youthful and lively. And the sight of it made Keylara think, _oh… oh, no_. It'd been a long time since she'd met someone who made her feel light and fuzzy inside like he did. She tended to go around hoping _not_ to find people like that — she didn't need the distractions in her life, nor did she want them.

But Poe had such a charming smile and there was passion in his eyes, and she liked the rich timbre of his voice.

"Excellent," he said. "So what's it gonna be? You gonna put together an astro droid for me or what?"

He watched her and she gazed back at him, pretending to contemplate his question for a long, long moment. His mouth twitched into another smile, as though he could read her playful intentions, and when she finally spoke, she was grinning right back at him. It was infectious — she couldn't help it.

"I guess I could give it a shot. Since you asked so nicely."

"Good woman." He relaxed back in his seat and threw a look around her lab, seeming to soak it all in. "It's quaint in here."

"Quaint?"

"Weirdly cozy in a way. Cluttered, but…."

"Sorry," she said quickly.

"I didn't say I didn't like it. It's not messy or anything — it's more like organized chaos. Bet you know where everything is."

"I never lose anything," she agreed. Looking at his smile was beginning to feel a lot like looking directly at the sun, but she refused to tear her gaze away. Was he this friendly with everyone? Stupid question, she thought. Of course he was. She wasn't so unique that someone of his rank and level would give her special treatment. "So did you have any ideas?"

"I'm thinking a BB unit would be perfect for me and my X-wing."

"I can do that."

"Of that, my friend, I had no doubts."

And just like that, they'd been buddies. Keylara made a few other friends — the Resistance was full of the sort of people it was easy to get along with — but Poe seemed to be the only one who was ever really willing to try and pull her out of her shell. He visited her more than anyone else did, always complimented her on whatever she was working on, and he made it a habit to share the latest jokes he picked up from the others.

Her favorite thing to do was ruin the punchline when it came to the ones she'd already heard before — he always got this look on his face, this pleased little glint in his eye like he was impressed by her.

"Novan."

No matter how many times he came around, she was always happy to see him.

"Hey," she said, flashing him a quick smile.

"Still working on that thing?"

The pocket droid beeped cheerfully at him from where it sat on her workbench, and Keylara nodded. "I would have been done sooner but I've never constructed anything so small before — getting parts that both fit _and_ do their job is not an easy task. It... sort of can't move around on its own yet."

"So he's essentially a potted plant, that's what you're saying?" Poe teased.

"Hey, be sweet," she said, her tone one of pretend chiding. The droid seemed not to care — or perhaps it didn't perceive Poe's words as an insult. Its dome-shaped head swiveled so that it could look up at Keylara, and she smiled at it fondly.

"Come on," Poe said.

"What?" She was immediately nervous. He _had_ said he would surprise her when it came to taking her flying next. That wasn't what he wanted to do now, was it? Her stomach twisted into a knot at the very thought of it.

"How long have you been in here?"

"Oh, um, a few hours, I guess?"

"Have you eaten?" he asked.

"Not since last night."

"Let's grab something from the canteen."

"I don't —"

He chuckled. "You can bring the droid."

Five minutes later, they were sitting across from one another in the mess hall.

It was a little late for lunch, the activity around them was sparse and slow, and Keylara's trusty droid sat on the table between their trays, its head rotating back and forth so it could watch them. She felt sorry for it, that it couldn't move around on its own yet, but at least it had never known movement before — it wasn't actually aware of what it was missing out on. She'd figure out how to get it working right sooner or later.

"So have you named him yet?"

"My droid?"

"No, your pet bantha," he said sarcastically, and she laughed and ducked her head. "He's not exactly a typical model — I think you might have invented something entirely new. Congrats."

"I guess I did. It sure is something."

"It's cute how attached you get to your stuff."

She felt the faintest of heats stir in her cheeks at just the idea of him using the word 'cute' to describe her in any way or shape, but she pretended not to notice. She'd spent so much time overthinking that stupid wink he'd given her the last time they'd talked — she didn't need anything else to keep her up at night.

Not that thoughts of Poe kept her up at night, of course. That would have been sad, right?

"I haven't thought of anything yet," she said.

"You could call him MINI something. You don't need to worry about any of the other naming conventions since he'll probably be the only one of his kind, right? And he's a personal unit."

"Minnie?"

"M-I-N-I. Because he's so little."

She laughed and shrugged. "Well… you're not wrong. You know, you're awfully invested in my pocket droid."

"What can I say? I like the little guy."

It chirped happily, and Poe grinned down at it — it was one of those smiles that made his eyes crinkle just slightly at the corners. One of those smiles that made Keylara's chest feel tight and warm. She watched him for as long as she could before things got weird, and then she dropped her gaze back to her tray.

Was it obvious? He had to know the effect he had on others. On her, in particular. She swiped her fork through what she thought was supposed to be some kind of potato… _thing_ , and she sighed.

"Fortunately for you, I think it seems to like you too," she said.

"Everyone likes me."

"Now you're just being cheeky."

"And yet, you still like me."

 _You have no_ idea, she thought. Aloud, she replied, "I suppose you're alright."

"Just alright?" he asked, arching his eyebrows in a way that could only be described as mischievous.

"Just alright."

He laughed. Then, in a slightly more serious, conspiratorial tone, he said to the droid, "She's lying to herself."

The traitorous thing chirruped in agreement and Keylara rolled her eyes dramatically.

Poe checked the time and finished his drink, making a sound like, "Hmm." The look he passed her way was apologetic, and she knew what it meant. She was disappointed, but mature enough to know there was no point in showing it. "I need to be getting back to it."

"I see how it is — you drag me out here and then you ditch me. You jettison me."

He grinned at her choice of words and said, "Eh, it's good for you. Think you can find your way back on your own?"

"I'll manage it somehow. I've got MINI looking out for me, after all."

A gleam of satisfaction sparked in his eyes — a hint of pride that she'd chosen the name that he had suggested — and he bowed his head a little in a nod. To the droid in question, he said, "I'm trusting you to get her back safe and sound. You up for the job, buddy?"

MINI's head twirled back and forth, a string of bleeps trilling out of it as it made its excitable promise. Keylara laughed and shook her head, and Poe shot her a quick little wink when MINI's eye wasn't on him. Like the wink from before, it gave her a soft, fluttery sensation in her stomach, and she had to wonder for a second time just what it meant.

"Thank you," she said as he stood and picked up his tray.

"For?"

"Getting me out of there and all. Sometimes I forget there's a world outside of the lab."

"It was my genuine pleasure. I'll be around to remind you for some time yet, okay?"

She didn't know why she kept talking. He could have walked away and that would have been that. But instead, she found herself saying, "I'm going to hold you to that, Commander."

There was a beat and he said, "You'll find no complaints here, Novan."

After a quick wave, he turned on his heel and strolled away, nodding and throwing out an enthusiastic greeting at a Sullustan officer who'd just arrived at the mess hall. Keylara watched him go before she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Had she really just tried _flirting_ with Poe Dameron? Was she _insane_?

A better question: had he… flirted back? No. No way. That seemed both improbable and impossible. They'd only been teasing one another, right? Friendly banter and repartee?

MINI spun to look up at her, but she cut it off before it could even begin.

"Don't. Say. Anything."


	3. Chapter 3

so happy to hear you all are enjoying this, thank you so much! i mentioned that i was kind of a sap, right? it might start to show after this chapter, but i hope you like it!

 *****  
 **EFFERVESCENCE**  
 *****

 **CHAPTER THREE**

She still wasn't finished with MINI the next time Poe came around the lab. Between the work she was doing for the Resistance, and the struggle she was having to get the right parts she needed — this droid was turning out to be an exact science — she just couldn't figure it out. She was close to giving up entirely when he turned up, a regular knight in shining armor in this case.

"Novan," he said cheerily as he strutted into the room.

"Dameron."

"I might have something for you."

"You _might_?"

He came to a smooth halt in front of her workbench, and she peered up at him from her hunched position, one hand still on MINI's sleek body, the other holding her compact, modified macrofuser. "Well," he said, "It depends."

"On?" she prompted.

"Have you figured out how to get him moving yet?"

She heaved a quick but weary sigh, setting both her tool and the droid down. She shook her head. "I'm so close, I know it. And it's been so patient with me."

MINI beeped as though to comfort her.

Poe dazzled her with a grin, something like eagerness sparking to life in his eyes, and he reached into one of the inner pockets of his jacket — the material was still stiff in places, not quite worn in the ways his old one was. That and the faintest hint of a scar on his right cheek were a few of the noticeable reminders of what had happened. He said, "Say please."

"Pretty please?" she obliged, but even as she spoke, he was already producing and holding something out for her to look at. It was a module of sorts, small and round and flat, and her eyes went wide. "Wait, wait, wait — is that what I think it is?"

"Just the kind of stabilizer you're looking for, right? Found it in some scrap the last time I was offworld."

She took it gingerly from his hand, the tips of her fingers ghosting against the warm skin of his palm. Did he feel the same electricity that she did at the contact? Heat spread up her fingers and into her arm, making it feel like light was seeping into her, but she focused her attention on the module. Right now, that was definitely more important to her than her silly infatuation with her closest friend.

"Poe, I think this is exactly — _exactly_ — what I need." Her tone was almost breathless in her excitement, but she didn't notice as she held the piece up in front of her face to study it. Her gaze drifted past it to Poe's smile.

"I always come through, don't I? Now come on, let's get this guy moving."

As she set to work fitting the piece into the bottom component of MINI, which was quiet and uncomplaining, Poe watched with his hands on his hips. He too was silent, as though he were afraid that if he spoke he would distract her, and though Keylara usually hated laboring with an audience, it was only fair that he got a front row seat, wasn't it? He _was_ the one who'd found the piece, after all.

"Could you hand me that?" she asked, gesturing to a sonic welder at the far end of the table.

Their fingers brushed again as he passed it over. She glanced at him just in time to see his eyes flicker to her, and when their gazes met, fire crept up her neck inch-by-inch. Reading him could always go one of two ways — she either knew exactly what he was thinking, or couldn't have guessed in a million years. This was one of those completely indecipherable faces; his eyes burning and thoughtful, his mouth pressed into a soft, but inexpressive line.

What was he thinking about?

She quickly looked away, directing her focus back to MINI.

It took around ten minutes for her to get the module properly fitted, and even less for her to program it the way it needed to be programmed. As she was just about to tell the droid to go ahead and try out its new mobility functions, it zoomed out of her grasp and across the workbench on its own.

It reached the end of the table and trilled excitedly. Keylara made a similar noise without meaning to, and then she laughed as MINI spun around in a circle and vibrated like it were trying to dance. She looked to Poe, finding him watching her again, and the heat that had been hovering in her neck spread to her cheeks almost instantly. His expression was still as hard to read as before, but his mouth had curved up into a soft, almost tender smile, and his dark eyes were transfixed on her as though she were the only person in the galaxy at that exact moment.

Her heart fluttered. She wasn't imagining things, was she?

He blinked and looked away after what felt like an eternity but was surely only a few seconds. His gaze went to MINI, which was still rocking around and doing its little jig, and his smile broadened into that familiar boyish grin.

"That's what I'm talking about." He applauded, slow and casual.

Keylara bowed to him, placing a hand over her heart and trying to look every bit like a star accepting praise from her adoring fans. "Thank you, thank you."

MINI's head swiveled to look at her, its eye analyzing her for a moment, and then it turned and bowed to Poe in the best way that it could, given its unconventional shape. The drawn out beeps it let out said, _Thank you, thank you_ , as it took its cue from her.

"He's so small," Poe said. "What if someone steps on him?"

Before Keylara could answer, the sounds MINI was making turned indignant and displeased.

"I didn't say _I_ was gonna step on you," Poe said. "I said someone else might."

"I integrated some defense mechanisms just in case. Nothing painful," Keylara said.

"But I don't want to find out?" he suggested.

She grinned. "You don't want to find out."

He folded his arms over his chest and looked between her and the droid. "I'm impressed."

"You're not the only one. How did you manage to find what I was looking for? I didn't even _know_ what I was looking for until it was staring me right in the face. And you said you found it among scrap?"

"Alright, so… I might have lied about that."

"What?"

"A little fib," he said. "I did find it offworld but it wasn't necessarily in a junkyard or anything — I told you that in case it didn't work or something. I had to ask around and do a bit of digging for it. Got in touch with someone I used to know before I joined up here."

"Poe —"

" _And_ it was no trouble because it was what I wanted to do."

"You didn't pay for it, did you?" His brief silence was answer enough and Keylara felt an overwhelming swell of gratitude— that was joined immediately by a rush of guilt. "How much?"

"It's a gift," Poe said. He moved closer and reached across the workbench to place a hand on her shoulder. His touch, like always, made her skin tingle, even through her coveralls. "It doesn't matter what gifts cost — we're friends."

 _Friends_. The word echoed hollowly in her mind. She hated the way it sounded. And that just made her feel bad. It wasn't that she was unhappy with them being friends, of course, she was in no way unappreciative of the relationship that they had. She just… couldn't help but fantasize about what it might have been like to be _more_ than friends.

"I guess I've just never had anyone do something so thoughtful for me," she said.

"I care about what's important to you."

"Thank you."

He smiled again — that fleeting, gentle smile that made his eyes look soft and warm — and Keylara needed to show him how grateful she was. She moved around the workbench and said, "You get a hug for this one, Commander. You've saved the day."

"As per usual, right?" He chuckled and opened his arms for her, inviting her in, and yeah, she'd have been lying if she'd said she wasn't imagining this happening under different circumstances.

But she kept it quick and chaste, completely _platonic_ , because they _were_ friends, and she didn't want to make things awkward.

It wasn't the first time they'd embraced, though perhaps the first since she'd realized she was developing feelings for him. His arms around her were warm and inviting, and he smelled like fresh air and metal and leather and something else that was just him, and it was all so familiar to her. She could do the whole 'just friends' thing, because no matter how nice this was, 'just friends' didn't mean it was the end of the world.

Having him as a friend was better than not having him around at all.

"I'll pay you back for it, I promise," she said as she pulled away.

"Novan, really, how many times do I have to tell you it was a gift? You know what a gift is, right?"

"I'm paying you back."

He stared at her like he was trying to convince her she was being foolish, and she stared right back, her eyebrows going up slightly in defiance. A short little laugh left him and he shook his head. "Alright, alright, I'm at your mercy — pay me back whenever you want. But I'm not gonna tell you what I spent on it. I'm invested in your work with droids, okay?"

"Personal interest?"

And suddenly, the way he was looking at her seemed so much more meaningful than it had before. The grin had faded and his eyes were intense, and Keylara felt like he was trying to tell her something without actually saying it. When he _did_ speak, he said, "You could say that."

For some reason, his tone made her throat go dry.

MINI piped up again.

Poe looked back at the droid. "You're very welcome, little guy. It was the least I could do for all this girl's done for me."

"Well, it's about time you showed me some appreciation," Keylara joked.

"Hey, don't get used to it."

"Typical."

He laughed again and looked around, slow like he were savoring the sight of her lab even though it looked no different from any other of the other times he'd been there, and then he said, "You mind if I hang out here for a little while?"

"Hiding from someone?" she asked.

"Got some free time, actually. Thought I'd spend it bothering one of my most favorite people on D'Qar."

"Oh yes, because you're so very bothersome."

"You mean I'm not?" He pretended to be disappointed. "Looks like I'll just have to try harder. Maybe if I start poking around at some of this stuff…."

"Don't test me, Commander."

His eyes flashed with amusement and his tone dropped teasingly, coming out low and smooth. "Or what?"

Keylara's breath hitched in her throat.

The sound of his voice was almost enough to make a shiver dance down her spine, and the way he was looking at her — challenging and playful — made her heart seem to skip a beat. She thought back to the moment in the canteen where for a split second she'd just _known_ he'd been flirting with her — and then had promptly convinced herself she was wrong — and this time, she was _really_ sure. This time, it was a little less subtle on his part.

Poe Dameron was flirting with her.

She opened her mouth to fire back a retort — one she hadn't yet thought of, admittedly — but she had no time.

"Sorry, sorry," he said, dropping his gaze and letting out a sheepish, almost embarrassed laugh.

And because she didn't want him to think she'd minded, she said, perhaps a little too quickly, "Don't be! Uh, sorry — don't be sorry."

He looked back at her. For a long moment, they sort of just stared at one another, and Keylara was lost in his eyes. She could do it, couldn't she? She could just say something about her feelings for him, tell him how much she cared about him, how much she thought about him when he wasn't around.

It was the perfect moment for it. She'd never get an opportunity like it again.

Even if she was misreading the signals and had it all wrong, what was the worst that could happen? This was her best friend. He'd let her down gently at the very least!

"Poe…."

"Yeah?"

"I, uh — I'm not going to forget this. I really appreciate your help."

He smiled. "It was nothing. You don't ever even need to ask for my help, Key. Now, show me what your next project is now that you've gotten our little friend up and moving finally, yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded and mirrored the smile. She felt stupid for chickening out, embarrassed for nearly _not_ chickening out, and confused by, well, _everything_. But Poe was Poe, and no matter what was going on, she could take comfort in his presence.

MINI rolled back down the table towards them, stopping to emit a series of beeps that said, _Don't forget about me after this_.

Poe laughed and said playfully, "Aw."

And Keylara reassured the droid with an earnest, "Impossible."


	4. Chapter 4

i'm so sorry it took so long for the update! but the good news is that i think i've got this story completely planned out. there's going to be five more chapters, including this one, so that'll be eight in total. i'm sorry it's not more! and i know a lot of you want something from Poe's POV, and i promise to deliver, just not right now, haha. i hope you like this installment, lovelies~ i can't say when the next one will be up, as i've been really busy at work, but it's definitely coming.

also, i'm so, so thrilled to share this with you, but an absolutely wonderful person by the name of SnackyCrad drew a little something inspired by this story, and it's amazing! check it out over on DeviantArt (i can't put a link thanks to this site's formatting, but you can find it easily enough by going to DA and searching 'effervescence poe dameron') and leave them some love! i'm still not over it!

 *****  
 **EFFERVESCENCE**  
 *****

 **CHAPTER FOUR**

When she walked into her lab after reviewing the transmission from her mother, the last thing Keylara expected to find was Poe sitting at her workbench, having a conversation with MINI. She hesitated in the doorway — he was regaling the tiny droid with the tale of how he and BB-8 were reunited after the whole being-abducted-by-Imperial-Forces thing — and she pasted on a quick smile.

"Poe — hey."

He jumped to his feet like he was worried she'd be offended if he remained sitting, and the smile he flashed at her was cheery and warm. Somehow, it was exactly what she needed to see at that moment. The tension in her shoulders eased away, helping her to relax a little bit.

"There you are," he said. The smile faltered some as he took in the sight of her, and because he just always knew when something was wrong, he asked, right away, "Everything okay, Novan?"

She nodded and passed him a thumbs up as she came further into the room, but he didn't look convinced.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"I hate to break it to you, but you know I can tell when you're lying, right?"

A huff of laughter escaped her and she raised her eyebrows. "Oh, is that so?"

"It is. So you gonna tell me, or what?"

Keylara sighed and held her hands up defensively in front of her. "I'm just a little stressed out, okay? Everyone here's dealing with their own problems, right? It's nothing — like I said."

With his brow furrowed, Poe looked to MINI, and the droid swiveled to look back at him. It beeped at him: _I don't know what she's talking about_. His gaze went back to Keylara, and she wilted under his piercing eyes. Did everyone feel this way when under his scrutiny, or just her? It was like he could see right into her, and she almost expected him to be able to read her mind.

She would be in so much trouble if he ever developed that ability. So much.

"Poe —"

"I'm not gonna stop asking."

And she knew he wasn't lying. "It's just my mother."

He opened his mouth.

"She's kind of sick, but it's nothing serious," she added quickly.

"That doesn't mean you're not allowed to worry about her," he said instantly. He moved towards her, his eyes going all soft in the way that made her knees weak, and her breath hitched a little. Was he going to try and embrace her? Instead, he only touched her shoulder, squeezing gently, and he ducked his head slightly so that he could meet her gaze. "You could take some leave — I'm sure you'd get approved for it. Could go see her."

"By the time I got there, she'd be totally healthy again. I promise, everything's fine."

"If you're sure…."

"I am."

"More like you can't bear to tear yourself away from your work."

Some more of the weight on her shoulders lessened, and she humored him with a small smile. His own smile returned — he seemed pleased — and inwardly, she thought, _or maybe its you I can't tear myself away from_. She very nearly wanted to say just that. She could, couldn't she? After the way he'd flirted with her, she was more than allowed to tease him back, right?

She couldn't. Even if she wanted to. The words died on her tongue before she could even open her mouth.

"You know, a lot of people might think it was good of me to be such a workaholic," she said instead.

"These people must not know how little sleep you get most nights," he countered. "Have you eaten today?"

"As a matter of fact, I have."

"Something from the canteen?"

"It doesn't matter what I ate or where I ate it," she said as nonchalantly as she could, making him laugh.

"You mean you took two minutes out of your busy schedule to force down some nutrient paste before you got right back to work?" he asked playfully.

She bit her tongue to keep from laughing, but she knew the smile showed clearly on her face. "It's not that bad…."

" _You_ don't even sound convinced. You know that stuff's supposed to be used for emergency rations, right? No one eats it unless they have to."

"I have a very important job here, Commander. Not even my need for daily sustenance can keep me from it."

He laughed again and shook his head, and his gaze lingered on her face for a moment longer than it probably should have. He threw a look at the workbench and said to MINI, "I thought I told you that you gotta look out for this girl, buddy."

MINI bleeped.

"Don't apologize to him," Keylara said, and she really hoped she wasn't blushing at the idea that Poe was so concerned for her he was trying to get her droid to keep an eye on her. "You've done nothing wrong."

"Next time she picks up a thing of nutrient paste, you just, you know, zap her for me or something, alright?"

It beeped again, this time affirmatively.

" _Poe_ ," she groaned, exasperated, and as he beamed at her like he was the funniest person to ever exist, _ever_ , she neared the table and said to MINI, "Don't listen to him, MINI. He's just teasing you. And if you ever 'zap' me, I'll — well, I'll be very cross with you."

Her words made Poe laugh harder. "Hey, we're just trying to make sure you stay healthy and happy, okay?"

"Mm hmm."

She moved forward and started clearing off one side of her workbench, making room so that she could finally get started on that ancient blaster. Poe's hands went to his hips, and he watched, his expression much more sober. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but Keylara was painfully aware of his presence — and how desperate she was to be nearer to him.

"You know what I just realized?"

She looked at him, eyebrows going up in question.

"I don't even know where you're from."

She smiled. It just wasn't anything that had ever come up — in her experience, when you were in the Resistance, you lived in the here and now. Especially with the constant threat of Imperial Forces looming in the distance like a storm cloud. They didn't talk about their past lives or where they grew up or what their favorite childhood activity was, even though they did sometimes speculate on what their futures held. The past was the past and that was just how it seemed to go.

"Do you want to know?" she asked.

"Would I have said it if I didn't?"

"Eufornis," she told him. And before he could ask her to clarify, she added, "Major. Eufornis Major."

"I was gonna say, you didn't seem the type to grow up in the Outer Rim," he said.

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not."

"If I'm saying it to you, you can be sure it's always a compliment," he shot back, his tone just as playful as hers, but with a sincerity behind the words. Her heart did that stupid fluttery thing. Stupid. "I don't think I've ever been to Eufornis Major."

She shrugged. "You're not really missing anything — just your average city-planet."

"Average? That's not the word I've heard applied to it." When she looked at him quizzically, he said, "Illustrious. Reputable."

"Oh, right. 'Prestigious,'" she said, making air quotes with her fingers.

He grinned and shrugged. "I'm from Yavin 4."

"You know, Commander, I don't remember asking."

A surprised laugh tore out of him, but he quickly tried to appear offended by her words. "Ouch. That's the last time I tell you anything personal."

She smacked his shoulder lightly, and was it her imagination or did he lean into her touch? "Yavin 4, huh? Forest-planet, right?"

"That's the one. My parents settled down there after they retired from service."

"They served?"

"The old man was a soldier. In the Alliance to Restore the Republic. And my mom — she was a pilot."

"So it's in your blood then? Explains why you're so good at what you do."

"Oh, Novan, I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy inside."

"Hey, it's just what I've heard, I'm not saying it's true," she teased.

Though he smiled, he also hesitated, like he wasn't sure this was really something he wanted to talk about. That changed in an instant, however, and with his eyes steady and unblinking on hers, he looked as if there was nothing he wanted to do more in his life. "She never really told me anything about her time, you know — no grand war stories or anything. But I looked into her after I joined up with the Republic; the number of battles she'd been in, the number of lives she'd saved — it was incredible."

"What happened to her?"

"She died a little while after the Battle of Endor."

"I'm — I'm sorry," Keylara said quickly, her face heating up. It'd seemed like the question to ask, but she hadn't quite thought about how bad it might make the both of them feel.

He shook his head. "I was pretty young when it happened."

She realized all too suddenly that at some point in their conversation, he'd moved much closer, backing her against the workbench. The edge of it dug into her hip, and she had a hand laying flat on the surface of it like she needed something to keep her upright. He didn't seem to notice in the slightest.

For a long moment, he just watched her. She tried not to look as affected by him as she was — _stay still_ , she told herself, _don't fidget so much_ — and she hoped that she looked cool and relaxed. His gaze flickered down to her mouth, then returned back up to her eyes. Her throat was as dry as the deserts of Jakku (at least, as dry as what she'd _heard_ of the deserts of Jakku, thanks to BB-8's convoluted description of the planet).

Poe smiled. "I don't think I've ever talked about her with anyone."

"I didn't mean to pry."

"If you were prying, I wouldn't have told you."

"Oh."

He chuckled a little, and his eyes did that thing again — sliding down to her mouth, lingering while he seemed lost to his own thoughts, then flickering back up to meet hers. Her heartbeat was thick and heavy in her ears, so loud she had to wonder if he could hear it too.

She cleared her throat, a tiny, embarrassing sound, and went on, "Thanks for telling me. I'm — I'm not surprised you have greatness in your blood."

"Are you coming onto me, Keylara?" His tone was smooth and velvety, mischievous, but the question blunt and to the point.

She opened and closed her mouth soundlessly, her cheeks catching fire and turning scarlet. She hadn't actually been flirting that time, though she certainly wasn't against the idea — she should have known something like that could be taken as such. As the moment stretched on, she knew she needed to say something — _anything_ , for pity's sake — but her mind rushed with too many thoughts.

Just as she hoped she might be able to pinpoint one and actually voice it, there was movement in the doorway.

"Am I interrupting?"

Poe didn't necessarily jump away from Keylara, though he did take a swift step back, tossing an easy, but professional smile at the Mon Calamari who'd entered. "Not at all, Grand Admiral — I was just on my way out. You're in good hands, here, sir."

His eyes met Keylara's a final time just before he left the lab, and she swore she saw something there — something private and intimate, meant only for her. Her heart was still beating just a tad too quickly, even as she listened to Gial Ackbar's concerns about the targeting systems there on D'Qar.

How long had she floundered for words while Poe had waited? If she'd only spoken up sooner, how would he have reacted? What would have happened if the Grand Admiral had waited ten more minutes before showing up?

By the time he left, she couldn't even remember what the resolution to his problem had been. She was too busy thinking about stupid Poe Dameron and that insufferable boyish grin.

MINI, who'd remained silent, contentedly wheeling around on the workbench, finally piped up just as the Mon Calamari left. And the droid had some very choice words about what an inconvenience his visit had been for them.

"Be sweet," she told the droid. "He's a very decorated member of the Resistance…. Even if he _did_ interrupt what was a very important moment to me."

MINI bleeped again.

"I don't need any romantic advice…. But thanks anyway."


	5. Chapter 5

thank you all so much for your kind words and support! and most importantly, thank you for being patient with me as i write this story, i know updates have slowed down considerably. i sincerely hope you enjoy this installment, and i promise that i'll have the next one up as soon as i can.

 *****  
 **EFFERVESCENCE**  
 *****

 **CHAPTER FIVE**

Keylara didn't know what was more embarrassing — that _the_ General Leia Organa had witnessed a moment of banter between she and Poe, or that she decided to bring it up to her just after Poe had disappeared.

It was one of those rare occasions where Keylara wasn't tinkering away in her lab — and believe her, Poe had already gone all out in teasing her for daring to leave her tech unsupervised, and whatever will she do if she doesn't make it back in time, and how could she leave a pocket droid in charge of all of it? Of course, she hadn't admitted to him that the only reason she'd ventured out of her safe space was because there was a console that'd needed fixing, and she was the only one in the general vicinity who could do it as quickly as it needed to be done. He didn't need to know that she'd have been back there if she'd had the choice.

She was just finishing and getting ready to leave herself when General Organa's calm voice drifted down to her. "You know, there are some who consider it counterproductive to allow — what do they call it? — fraternization." The word came out on a scoff.

Keylara started a little and looked up, finding the other woman standing nearby. Her attention was focused entirely on a datapad in her hand, and she was so engrossed in whatever she was reading that it almost seemed as if she hadn't spoken at all. Keylara was just about to question whether or not she'd completely imagined it when Leia went on.

"But what they don't understand is that you're quite literally thrown into this sort of thing. You don't go seeking it out, and if you do, you're a fool."

"Ma'am?"

At long last, Leia looked down at her. She was steel, her expression firm and strong, but there was a softness to her eyes that either Keylara had never noticed before, or was usually well hidden and buried. "Hold onto it, Novan. Don't take it for granted. And don't think you're above showing it. You think if you pretend not to care that it makes it easier on you in the end. It doesn't."

An almost shameful heat crawled into Keylara's face as she took in the weight of the general's words. There was no emotion in her voice — it held the same hardness that was set in her jaw, made even more casual in the easy way she went back to her datapad — but you'd have to be an idiot not to understand what she was truly saying.

Even Keylara, in her own little bubble in her tech lab most days, had heard about what'd happened on Starkiller Base. It was in quiet murmurs among officers whenever Leia walked by, in forlorn and downcast looks when she spoke.

"I'm — I'm sorry about…." Keylara trailed off. How do you even express sympathy for something like that? It wasn't as if she could say 'I know how it feels,' or 'Oh, it'll get better.'

"Everyone is," Leia said, flippantly. "None more than me."

"General, it wasn't your fault."

Leia didn't respond for a moment and Keylara thought she'd overstepped. She should have just gotten back to work, she thought, and yet, she couldn't tear her gaze off of the other woman. After what felt like an eternity, Leia said, slowly, carefully, "That's what I try to tell myself."

Keylara had no idea what to possibly say to that, but she didn't have to think of anything. With those final words, Leia turned on her heel and strode away. There was no evidence in how she walked — her shoulders straight, her head raised, authority in her gait — that she'd just admitted something that was, no doubt, deeply personal and heavy, and Keylara could only stare blankly after her.

She made herself finish her work quickly, trying not to dwell on what Leia had said. Both because the room seemed to have grown colder after the words had been spoken, and because there was a certain kind of truth to it that made Keylara feel just a bit uncomfortable. _You think if you pretend not to care that it makes it easier on you_.

It wasn't until she'd gotten back to her lab — and until after she'd gotten a jubilant greeting from MINI — that she realized what had prompted the conversation with Leia in the first place.

General Organa thought that she and Poe were _together_. She thought that Keylara and Commander Dameron, leader of the Blue and Red Squadrons, were _fraternizing_.

When MINI asked her why she was so flushed and looking like she was about ready to be sick, she claimed it must have been something she ate. The droid bleeped out a matter-of-fact remark about nutrient paste but she didn't have the heart to argue with it.

* * *

She didn't intend to bring it up to him, but it was just one of those things that happened.

They were sitting across from one another in her lab, the workbench separating them, and he'd brought her dinner from the mess hall — still hellbent on making sure she was eating actual food, apparently. MINI sat in power saving mode at the other end of the table, and both Keylara and Poe kept their conversation soft and low, like they were afraid of waking the droid.

Poe had just finished telling her a comedically embarrassing story he'd heard from Jessika Pava — poor woman, Keylara thought, knowing this story must be circulating through the whole base by now — but as their laughter died down, her mind went to what'd happened earlier that morning. She dropped her gaze and pushed the rest of her dinner aside, sighing lightly. She blurted it out before she could even think about it.

"I had kind of a… bizarre conversation with the general today."

Poe's eyebrows went up and he said, "Mortifying anecdote of your own? I might have to share it with Pava to make up for blabbing about hers."

A nervous little laugh left Keylara and she scratched at the back of her neck, shrugging. "Oh, I don't know about that. It was, uh, right after you left earlier."

"The general was there?"

"Yeah and evidently, she saw us messing around with each other — and by that, I mean she saw you picking on me relentlessly."

Poe grinned impishly, but it disappeared as quickly as it'd come. He suddenly looked worried, if not a little anxious. "Did she say something?"

And now Keylara wished she hadn't brought it up at all. She shifted awkwardly on her stood, folding her arms over her chest. "She thinks we're… you know."

"Thinks we're what?"

Her eyes snapped back up to him and she _knew_. She could tell just by the way he was watching her that he knew exactly what she was getting at. He just wanted her to say it. His dark eyes were transfixed on her, unblinking, and she was trapped — unable to move under the intensity of his gaze. She wanted to be frustrated with him — _why_ did he need her to say it? — but Poe was the type of person it was hard to get mad at.

So instead, she said, "She seems to be under the assumption that you and I are together."

Something flashed in his eyes, but he didn't look away from her. "And did you correct her?"

"I — I didn't." Her cheeks went hot as she realized that she hadn't even _tried_ to convince Leia there was no 'fraternization' going on. To be fair, she hadn't realized what the general had meant until long after she'd gone, but still.

"Why not?"

"I didn't — she didn't — there wasn't time to —" she stammered.

He laughed, but not maliciously. "So our general thinks we're, what? A couple?"

"I guess."

"But she was okay with it?"

"I… think so."

"And you?"

"What about me?"

What happened next happened both all too suddenly, and as though it were in slow motion. Smoothly, Poe reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. Instinct almost had her jerking away from him, nervous and always ready for a disaster, but she made herself stare at him evenly and tried to look as casual as he did.

His grasp was easy and light, but his skin felt electric against hers. As his fingers shaped hers, his eyes searched her face, looking for any sign of discomfort — and she was sure that if he saw it, he'd release her immediately. She held her breath, uncertain of how exactly to react, what exactly he expected. When he seemed satisfied with whatever he saw in her expression, his gaze went down to their hands.

He was quiet as his thumb traced invisible circles on the back of her hand, ghosting over her knuckles, tantalizing and slow. And he said, his voice like silk, "Are you okay with it?"

"With her thinking we're a couple?" Her voice was higher and came out more breathlessly than she'd have liked. It was hard to think with his thumb making those soft circles. She almost felt like she was going to short-circuit any moment.

He didn't respond. He looked back at her through his dark lashes, one of his eyebrows arching in that mischievous way he did best, and Keylara felt warm all over.

She swallowed against her dry throat. "I'm okay with her thinking that."

He smiled in the way that made his eyes fill up with sunshine. Slowly, his gaze holding hers, he raised her hand up to his mouth, and he brushed his lips across her knuckles. Her breath caught in her throat at the soft butterfly kiss, and her other hand clenched into a fist under the table if only because she didn't know how else to express the delight that pierced her like a needle.

Was this really happening? Had she worked herself so hard that she'd passed out in her lab and was dreaming this entire thing up?

But no. Poe's lips were soft, yet firm, and his breath escaped them, hot and tickling against her skin. This was really real. She and Poe _were_ fraternizing. She almost laughed aloud.

Dropping his gaze, releasing her from the power of it, he sighed. It was a soft, gentle noise, and it almost sounded like he was relieved. It was as if this were something he'd wanted to do for some time and now that he finally had, he could relax. The thought made Keylara feel lightheaded. She thought back to all the times before, after she'd realized that he was actually flirting with her, and she almost wished she'd done something about it sooner.

He brought her hand to his cheek, and she splayed her fingers against his jaw, cupping it lightly. She could feel the hint of stubble against her fingertips, and he leaned into her touch like a mooka wanting to be pet.

And Keylara could only think, _oh boy_. She had already been in trouble, but now she was in Trouble with a capital T. What did any of this mean? What came next?

He lowered their hands back to the surface of the workbench, but he captured her fingers in his again. As if the interlude hadn't happened at all, he launched into another tale, this one about Major Caluan Ematt, and his eyes were bright and shining as he reminisced.

 _Effervescent_ , she thought with a small smile.

When MINI awoke, coming out of power saving mode and swiveling its head to take in its surroundings, it seemed to hesitate when it saw her hand in Poe's. A string of shrill, excited beeps tore out of it, and Keylara couldn't help but to laugh. Honestly, the beeps were very reflective of her own thoughts and feelings towards the matter, she was just somehow able to contain herself.

Without missing a beat, however, and with a quick wink at Keylara, Poe said playfully, "Mind not interrupting my story, buddy?"

MINI didn't stop bleeping for at least a minute and a half.


	6. Chapter 6

my inspiration has been running low because i've been having a really rough time at work, so i sincerely apologize for the wait time between chapters. also, it recently came to my attention that somebody on Wattpad was posting my story, word-for-word but under a different title, and claiming it as their own. when i saw it, i reported them and emailed the site, but before i could go any further with it, the story and user disappeared completely — i don't know what happened or if the user deleted it themselves, but for the record, should you see this story posted anywhere else, it's not me. this website is the only website i'm posting my fanfic on.

also, this chapter is considerably shorter than the others, probably more of a filler chapter than anything, and i don't feel like it's quite up to par with the previous installments, so please forgive me. i hope hope hope you enjoy it anyway!

 *****  
 **EFFERVESCENCE**  
 *****

 **CHAPTER SIX**

They didn't talk about it after it happened. And to say that it frustrated Keylara would have been a complete understatement. She could still feel Poe's lips on her hand — and gods knew she couldn't help but to fantasize about what they'd feel like elsewhere on her — and while Poe didn't act as though it hadn't happened, he didn't seem all that keen to acknowledge it either. He played it like he usually did; he was cool and casual and _insufferably_ oblivious to the effect he had on her.

They spent as much time together as they normally did — with him visiting her in her lab more often than not — and though it became quite common for him to take her hand in his, for him to squeeze her fingers affectionately and trace lines and shapes along the inside of her wrist and up her arm, it almost seemed like he was entirely content to keep things as they were.

She couldn't begin to count the number of times she'd been about to bring it up — to ask him what it meant, what they were, if it changed anything between them — but she didn't want to be _that_ person. She'd never really been a confident sort of girl, but she certainly didn't want to come across as insecure or weak in any way. And she didn't want him to think she couldn't handle this…. Whatever _this_ was.

She'd confided in MINI, but after the pocket droid had made an attempt to repeat her lamenting words the very moment Poe walked into the room once, she'd decided that perhaps it wasn't the best idea to share her innermost feelings with it. At least not until she could teach it the value of secrecy and not blurting out things that were meant to be private and confidential because they could be completely and utterly humiliating for the parties involved. She didn't blame the droid — it was still young and had a lot of maturing to do. As far as droids went, at least.

Of course, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Poe — being Poe — was most likely doing this on purpose. He was _testing_ her. Like on the day that it'd happened, just before he'd grabbed her hand for the first time, when he'd made her spell it out for him what she was saying. He was always all about teasing her, wasn't he? Of course he wasn't going to say anything.

And as she lay in her bunk, staring at the darkened ceiling as the realization slowly dawned on her, she breathed out a quick, "Jerk." But she did it with a smile.

She didn't really get a chance to bring it up to him.

The next time she saw him, it was when she, quite literally, ran headlong into him in a crowded corridor. MINI, its head just barely poking out of a big pouch that hung from Keylara's utility belt, bleeped indignantly, as if Poe had bumped into them on purpose. The hall was unusually congested, and she got jostled slightly as people brushed past her on either side of her.

What was going on? Why was everyone rushing around like this?

Poe grabbed her shoulders to steady her after he'd very nearly barreled over her, and his grasp was warm and strong. He ran his hands down her arms. His touch made her skin tingle, even through her long sleeves. "There you are."

She smiled instantly, though it faltered at the sound of his voice. It was steady, but off — distracted — and his jaw was set, his heavy-lidded eyes narrowed, but clearly clouded with thought. Something about it made her anxiety spike.

"You — you were looking for me?"

"Stopped by your lab."

"I'm sorry."

A smile touched his mouth, and his gaze moved over her face, soft as a caress. Someone bumped into him and apologized quickly, drawing his attention away for but a moment, and his expression went grim again. She didn't like the solemnity set in his features — it made him look older, like he'd aged years in just a few moments.

"What is it?" she asked. And then she shook her head and added, "Even though something's telling me I don't want to know."

"And I don't want to have to be the one to have to tell you," he said, half-joking.

"But…?"

"But… Imperial Forces."

Keylara's throat constricted, a cold sweat breaking out between her shoulder blades. "Where?"

"Not close, but headed this way."

" _Here_?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." The conviction in his voice almost made him sound angry for a moment — fearless, with fire in his eyes. "I'm taking my guys out there and we're gonna take 'em down."

"Saving the day, as usual?"

"It's a thankless job, but hey, somebody's gotta do it." Another attempt at a joke.

Keylara looked around, eyes following an officer as she trotted by, speaking quickly into a comm unit. That explained the traffic, she thought. It was a surreal feeling, standing there like a stone in a rushing stream, hearing that there was a threat of Imperial Forces headed their way.

It was a heavy feeling on her chest, making her feel as if something was squeezing her in a vice, but she didn't want to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. She was here with Poe, they were safe at the moment, everything was fine, right? Just a regular old day at the Resistance base.

 _Be normal_ , she told herself. But what was normal in this type of circumstance?

"You've got to make sure your record's as decorated and impressive as your mother's, too, right?" she said.

Surprise flashed in his expression, but it quickly melted into a warm smile that touched his eyes and made him look the way he ordinarily did, the way Keylara was used to. He seemed pleased that she'd remembered what he'd told her about his mother, and Keylara was almost insulted. Of course she remembered — she cared about him.

He dropped his gaze and said, a little playfully, "I don't know, Novan. That's a pretty tall order."

"Well, if anyone can do it, I'm sure it's you. How, uh, how serious is this?" And what she was really asking was, _how dangerous will this be for you?_

"Not sure yet, but we'll pull through. Tear 'em to shreds. We always do."

And Keylara wanted to joke around with him. She wanted to tease him about the skills they both knew he had — pretend he wasn't as good as he always claimed to be. But she couldn't. Not now. Wisecracking just didn't seem like the right thing to do at a time like this.

Especially not when she already had something she needed to say to him.

"Poe, I — there's something I want to say. You —"

"Commander!"

She looked around him and he looked over his shoulder, and a pilot waved and gestured for him. He heaved a small sigh that sounded frustrated, and when he faced Keylara again, his jaw was clenched.

She opened her mouth to speak again — she _needed_ to get this out. He needed to know. Especially now.

Her legs almost gave out as something solid crashed into her, something that let out a series of familiar beeps and tones. BB-8 apologized profusely to her, but spared her no look as it nudged against Poe's leg like it were trying to push him into moving.

"I gotta go, Key," he said, his voice a low, disappointed rasp.

He reached for her and she tensed in anticipation. As his hand cupped her cheek, she leaned into his touch and felt just a little of the weight on her shoulders lessen. His thumb traced the shape of her lips, his intense eyes fixed on her mouth as he did so, and more than anything, she wanted to be in his arms. But he didn't have the time.

As if on cue, BB-8 bleeped again, this time impatiently. MINI's head swiveled back and forth and it responded with its own irritability. _You're interrupting_ , MINI's beeps said.

BB-8 stopped, turning and finally looking up at Keylara. As it noticed MINI, it looked up at her as if to say, really? You replaced me with _this_ thing? But without another beep, it turned back to Poe and nudged his leg again.

Poe gave Keylara a smile. "You can tell me when I get back, alright?"

She found that she could only nod. What could she say? Her time was up, and if she tried to make him stay any longer, it would be selfish of her.

"Don't keep me waiting too long, Commander," she said. Her voice came out about as steady as she'd expected it too.

His eyes were deep and soft and he winked. "Be back before you know it."

He turned to go and BB-8 hurried after him, rolling as quickly as its components would allow. Before Keylara could stop herself, she called out to the astromech droid. It stopped briefly and swiveled to look back at her.

"You take care of yourself, BB-8. And… look after him. I know you're good at it."

BB-8 promised. And then it disappeared around the corner. She knew it would do everything in its power to keep its promise — it _had_ traveled the galaxy to find him after they'd been separated on Jakku, after all.

The hallway slowly emptied, growing silent as the rushing crowd thinned out and dispersed. Keylara stood there for what felt like only a few minutes but could have been hours — she simply couldn't bring herself to move. She didn't know what to do with herself, she didn't know what to even think. Was this all really happening? Perhaps if she stood there long enough, it would all end and Poe would be there to hear what she so desperately needed to say to him.

MINI broke the silence, letting out a lone, solemn beep.

"He'll be alright," Keylara said automatically, though even she could hear the uncertainty in her voice. She didn't know if she was saying it for the droid's benefit or for her own, but she added, "He'll be fine. Back before we know it, you heard him."

MINI didn't seem convinced. But it was quiet. It let her pretend.


End file.
